Jalen Hurts, Jake Elliott help Eagles rally for 37-34 overtime win vs. Bills

Down but not out, quarterback Jalen Hurts scored a 12-yard rushing touchdown in overtime against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night to seal a 37-34 overtime victory.

The Eagles overcame a 17-7 halftime deficit, scoring 24 points in the second half including kicker Jake Elliott’s game-tying, 59-yard field goal.

Now, the Eagles are 10-1, which remains the best record in the league. Here’s our instant analysis from the game:

» READ MORE: Eagles grades vs. Buffalo Bills

After the Bills went up, 31-28, with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter on a 7-yard touchdown reception by Gabe Davis, Hurts and Co. began their attempt at a comeback starting at their own 25-yard line.

The Eagles moved the chains with relative ease, as Hurts went 5-for-5 on consecutive passes for 41 yards. However, on first-and-10 at the Bills’ 34-yard line, center Jason Kelce was called for a false start, pushing the Eagles back 5 yards. Hurts was hit as he threw, forcing an incompletion on the ensuing play. Two plays later, Kelce committed another false start, but Elliott made the 59-yard field goal, tying the score at 31 and sending it to overtime.

The Bills sputtered deep in Eagles territory on the opening possession in overtime and settled for a field goal to go up, 34-31. Hurts pulled off a nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive, which he capped off with a 12-yard rushing touchdown.

“We continue to find ways to win,” Hurts said after the game. “We play together. We’ve shown our resiliency day in and day out. Game in and game out, we’ve been challenged in a number of different ways. But we always find a way. And that’s something that you can’t really take for granted.”

Wide receiver DeVonta Smith played a big role in putting the Eagles in scoring position in overtime, catching passes for 17 and 11 yards on the series. He had a game-high 106 receiving yards and a touchdown on seven catches.

The Eagles offense looked mostly lifeless in the first half, aside from a single scoring drive that culminated in a Hurts Tush Push touchdown that put them up, 7-0.

Their passing offense was particularly uninspiring, as Hurts finished the first half with four completions on 11 attempts (36.4%) for 33 yards and an interception for a 7.0 passer rating. He also fumbled the ball on a handoff to running back Kenneth Gainwell. Both of the Eagles’ turnovers ended with Bills touchdowns, giving Buffalo a 17-7 edge at the half.

» READ MORE: Jalen Hurts outduels Josh Allen in an Eagles victory for the ages

However, after going three-and-out on the first drive of the second half, underscored by a Julio Jones screen for a minimal gain on third-and-long, the Eagles offense got going. On first-and-10 at their own 38-yard line on their second drive of the half, running back D’Andre Swift ripped off an explosive 36-yard run to move the offensive firmly into Bills territory.

“It’s huge,” wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus said. “Games like this where we’re kind of staggering on offense a little bit, those chunk, explosive plays are huge for us to get momentum rolling in our favor. I’ve always said, man, I played with Dre in high school [at St.Joe’s Prep] and he’s a special player. That’s what he does.”

Three plays later, Hurts connected with tight end Jack Stoll on an RPO pass for 14 yards, all of which came after the catch. A.J. Brown snared a 3-yard touchdown pass on a similar play to cap the drive and pull the Eagles within three points, 17-14.

Smith got in on the action on the next offensive series. On second-and-5 from the Bills’ 15-yard line, he hauled in a touchdown pass to pull the Eagles within three points again, 24-21.

Hurts continued to show vast improvement over his first-half performance on the following series when he found Zaccheaus on third-and-15 for a 29-yard, scramble-drill touchdown, as the Eagles pulled ahead, 28-24, for the first time since the second quarter.

Despite the slow start, Hurts finished the game 18 completions on 31 attempts for 200 yards, three passing touchdowns, and the interception for a 96.2 rating. He also contributed in the running game, racking up 65 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.

Cornerback James Bradberry had an underwhelming start to the season, falling short of the lofty expectations he set for himself when he had three interceptions and 17 pass breakups in 2022.

However, Bradberry had arguably his best performance of the season against the Bills and helped the Eagles get back in the game. Not only did he generate five pass breakups on the night, but he also picked off Bills quarterback Josh Allen in a critical moment.

On second-and-8 at the Bills’ 27-yard line, shortly after the Smith touchdown, Bradberry swooped in and intercepted Allen’s short pass intended for receiver Stefon Diggs. The offense capitalized on his efforts, as the following drive culminated in the Zaccheaus touchdown.

After the game, Bradberry said he noticed that when Diggs lined up in the slot, he typically ran an option route. On that particular play, Diggs ran an option route from the slot as anticipated, allowing Bradberry to jump the route for the interception. Diggs had a strong night, posting six receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown, but Bradberry helped ensure that he didn’t do more damage.

“As the game was going, I saw I was getting a lot of targets,” Bradberry said. “I just tried to make sure I was on my Ps and Qs at all times. I tried to make sure I made enough plays so we’d get a victory.”

Bradberry wasn’t the only defensive player who helped the Eagles stage a comeback. While the Bills had gained a whopping 315 net yards by the time they completed their eighth drive, they had only 17 points to show for it. Aside from their two touchdown drives off turnovers, the Bills punted three times in the first half.

They also missed a pair of field-goal attempts, one in the second quarter and another in the third. On the first occasion, defensive tackle Jalen Carter tipped kicker Tyler Bass’ 34-yard attempt, causing the ball to sail wide left. On the second, with Bass kicking into the open end of the stadium, his 48-yard attempt soared to the right with the wind.

“But we got a big push down the middle and I threw my hands up,” Carter said of his deflection. “Been working on it since I started football. It was big emphasis in college. It helped me in the league.”

The Eagles lost a pair of defensive players during the game. Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox suffered a groin injury in the second quarter and went back to the locker room. Although he returned to the sideline to start the second half and returned to game action briefly, he was eventually ruled out in the fourth quarter.

Inside linebacker Zach Cunningham left the game in the third quarter with a hamstring injury and was also ruled out in the fourth quarter.

Prior to the game, right tackle Lane Johnson was listed as inactive with a groin injury. He woke up on Sunday morning with groin soreness and had an MRI, which showed inflammation, leading the Eagles to exhibit caution with their starting right tackle. The Eagles started backup Jack Driscoll in his place.